Restaurants on Windsurf

[nedleycan]

We have previously been on the Windstar ship, but never on the Windsurf. Can someone explain the difference between The Bistro and The Restaurant? Is the menu different? Do you need to reserve at one of them? Are either of them open for breakfast and lunch?

Thanks so much. I am a big time planner, and haven't managed to figure this part out yet for our January 23rd Mayan cruise.

[mousemeat]

I'll give this a try, and I'm sure others will chime in. The Restaurant and Bistro serve only dinner, and because the Bistro is smaller, they ask for reservations. We've never had any trouble just walking up, though. Both menus are posted at the reception desk all day so you can make your decision early if you want to reserve in the Bistro, probably recommended if you want to bring a group larger than four people.The bistro menu is less formal (fancy) than the restaurant, but they usually have similar meats served slighty differently. A somewhat limited buffet breakfast is served in the aft "Compass Rose" bar area from about 6:00 to 11:00. Sit down breakfast is served in the Veranda, more forward, from about 7:30 to 9:30, and lunches later. The Veranda has outside and inside seating, with windows ceiling to floor, and beautiful views when the weather is nice.The Bistro is across a small hallway from the Veranda, and during bad weather they will open up the nearby Bistro for overflow seating purposes only for breakfast and lunch. I hope that clears things up a bit. You might try looking at the deck plans, too. I'm a visual learner myself.

[johnnycruise]

I just returned from the December 12 Wind Surf Caribbean sailing. I hope to write a full review, but I'll go ahead and give you my take on the dining while it's fresh in my mind.

 

Breakfast and lunch were served in the Veranda, the adjacent outdoor terraces toward the Deck Six pool, and in the Bistro. All of the outside tables were prime property during breakfast and the the ones on the semi-shady side of the ship went quick at lunch. The Veranda itself has about 20 tables in the same room as the buffet. They were popular at breakfast (close to the food:D ). At lunch (12:30 - 2:00), the Veranda was about 90F due to the heat from the chef's specialty cooking station and the sunlight pouring in through the glass (greenhouse effect) so we didn't eat there after the first day. The Bistro was the quietest and coolest spot for breakfast and lunch. Although it is less than 50 feet from the buffet in the Veranda it was not used by too many people. A menu on each table (in all three venues) listed the buffet's offerings as well as the 4-5 items you could order from the waiter. The Restaurant was never open for either breakfast or lunch.

 

The Pool Bar had a very limited lunch menu (5 or 6 simple items) but it served 11:00 - 4:00.

 

The Compass Rose served tea daily at 4:00.

 

Cold appetizers were brought into the Lounge and Compass Rose at about 5:30 and hot appetizers were brought into the Lounge between 6:15 and 6:30.

 

Posted between the Veranda and the Bistro you'll find the evening's menus for both the Restaurant and the Bistro. The Restaurant was open seating 7:30 - 9:30 but most people headed for it between 7:25 and 7:45. We went once at 9:00 and only saw three other parties come in after us. The Restaurant menu changes completely everyday and usually had 3-4 appetizers, 2 soups, 2 salads and six entrees (including the Sail Light entree).

 

The Bistro required a reservation and the book in the room said it was limited to twice per cruise. We ate there the first night and the Maitre d' said we could eat there every night if we wanted. The Bistro menu really only changes every other day. However the staff would point out a couple of minor changes daily (lobster vs. scallops, a dessert substitution, etc.). The Bistro menu had 2 appetizers, 2 soups, 2 salads and 4 entree choices.

 

At meal time you can order off the menu and have it delivered to your cabin. There is also a regular room service menu which we used.

 

The cuisine was consistently very good.

[Canadiens]

Just some quick input, I was in the Bistro one night and requested something off of the "other" menu, and it was brought in without hesitation....my take on it is that the Bistro allows reservations so if you had a group that needed to be organized time wise, it was a great option, as to one being fancier than the other, I thought they were both similar, with the Bistro being smaller with fewer large groups perhaps .....As far as the main dining room was concerned, we were always taken directly to a table, regardless of what time we arrived. The food was always excellent, presentation was well done and service was 5*.

[nedleycan]

Thanks for all your answers. Only 32 days until we sail. We can't wait! We have dreamed about our next Windstar cruise since our last one almost 5 years ago. I am so glad we made this decision.

Happy Holidays to everyone!